Just hours after winning his first MVP trophy, Joel Embiid returned to the court to play with his Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night.
This came after a knee injury kept him sidelined for the team’s first game against the Boston Celtics.
Fans hoping for another amazing win over the Celtics were let down during Embiid’s first game back, as the Sixers fell by a score of 121-87 to Boston.
On Thursday morning, Shannon Sharpe questioned Philadelphia’s decision to put Embiid back in the game.
“I don’t know why you’re risking it. Joel Embiid is the MVP and you want him to stay healthy. It’s only so many times they can go into that knee,” Sharpe said on Thursday’s Undisputed.
.@ShannonSharpe suggest 76ers should’ve rested Joel Embiid in Game 2:
“I don’t know why you’re risking it. Joel Embiid is the MVP & you want him to stay healthy. It’s only so many times they can go into that knee.” pic.twitter.com/TA2PFUdQNk
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) May 4, 2023
Sharpe argued that Embiid should have remained out for the game, allowing James Harden more time to lead the team and possibly score another win on the road.
“I would’ve let him come back for the home crowd and gave him a couple more days of rest,” Sharpe said.
Sharpe’s argument isn’t just that Embiid’s return disrupts the chemistry the team had in Game 1.
He also thinks that playing Embiid too soon runs the risk of causing a bigger, more serious injury to his ailing knee.
It seems like Embiid’s entry into the series definitely did throw his team off a bit and no player scored more than 16 points.
There is a good chance that the Sixers would have lost without Embiid but Sharpe and others are saying that they risked hurting him again for nothing.
Others feel that the 76ers should use Embiid whenever they can, especially so the team’s chemistry is in tip-top shape for Game 3 and beyond.
No matter what decision Philadelphia made, some people would have complained.
NEXT: Joel Embiid Comments On His Health Concerns For Game 3